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Rural People in India: Determinants of Rural Social Formations

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Rural People in India: Determinants of Rural Social Formations!

In Indian context it must be said that whether there are urban com­munities, metropolis or rural communities, they are all parts of the larger Indian civilisation. Despite the civilisational unities, the rural and urban communities differ among themselves on the bases of physical and socio-cultural environment, way of life, norms and val­ues, and a large number of other factors such as density of population, birth and death rates, economic activities, poverty, caste and class, family and religion.

These are some of the vital social organisations which characterise a rural community and differentiate it from an ur­ban community. We shall discuss some of the social and cultural aspects of India’s rural communities. We would reiterate that the soci­ology, i.e., the web of social relations, which is found among the people of rural communities, makes it specific for rural habitation.

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On a broader plane if we look at the general characteristics of rural communities as are found in contemporary India, we would find in most of the rural life that there is not much differentiation from its counterpart, the urban communities. In the wake of development planning we would find that much advancement is observed in vil­lages.

A large number of them have received electricity; in a few villagers water supply has also been provided; there is an increasing network of roads and transport and above all some facilities of educa­tion and health are also provided to the village people. The difference in rural and urban life in the contemporary context thus has much re­duced.

As a matter of fact, it is dangerous to define rural community and the way of life in rural India in terms of the introduction of moderni­sation. The way of rural life as is found today is considerably specific to a number of historical, physical, social and cultural factors. We would make an effort to delineate the charac­teristics of rural social life as are specific to India’s villages.

Rural sociologists have argued that rural social life or rural way of life is the result of the interplay of a few factors. These factors have de­termined the social formation of village life. Whether caste, kin, clan, polity or economy, all these have been determined by a set of factors which are specific to the village habitation.